Considering a Canoe ?

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bassinbrian
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2009/07/12 21:16:28 (permalink)

Considering a Canoe ?

I'm thinking about a canoe mainly for 1 place i go, but i'm sure i would use it other places.
Having only been in a canoe just once ever, what info can you guys share

-Alum vs Fiberglass ?
-Length ?
-Width (i assume they are differnent) ?

I'm not looking to spend much at all, just going to look used. Not even 100% sure if i am going to do this. Just a thought right now. Place gets weed choked and by mid-late summer , thought it might work better than my heavy 12' v and trolling motor ??

 
Never hurts to add another vessel to the fleet LOL

Thanks Guys
post edited by bassinbrian - 2009/07/12 21:18:16
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12 Replies Related Threads

    Mr.Jigs
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    RE: Considering a Canoe ? 2009/07/12 21:38:25 (permalink)
    LOL the one time I bass fished In one by myself I learned never lean over the front to get your lure unhung cause the back kicks up a mite then the canoe rolls to one side ...out ya go..splash..

    A lure drawing the first strike of an early morning, the strong tug on the end of your line, the excitement of a leaping fish... that,s livin large!
    #2
    hot tuna
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    RE: Considering a Canoe ? 2009/07/12 22:04:53 (permalink)
    brian, they are a dime a dozen on craigs list. for what you are looking for I would stay in the 12>14' range esp. if you fish alone in it. Wind can play havoc with a canoe.  Alum. is lighter then fiberglas or plastic. Unless you go with a Radisson or Sportspal which are wide bottoms (38") and great canoes but pricy most canoes are standard 34>36" width. Now thats 3' and in the center only, not a lot if you are used to a boat. Also consider how you will transport the canoe, a 12' will work in the back of your truck but anything longer and you will need to put it on top.
     
    I have a 16 ft. Alum.  you are welcome to use anytime you wish, and If we get out this weekend I was planning on bringing it.
     

    "whats that smell like fish oh baby" .. J. Kaukonen
    #3
    Neversink Jimmy
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    RE: Considering a Canoe ? 2009/07/13 10:09:56 (permalink)
    I agree with Tuna...
     
    As a life-long canoe owner I have had many makes and models over the years.  It all began with a 16" Grumman that I bought at a garage sale with money I earned on my paper route.  It was a beauty, and cost 20 bucks!
     
    Now I am a bigger fan of the nicer boats- and my Old Town 179 is about as stable as they come.  It also carries over 1000lbs of gear, although I would never bring that much.  Trouble is, the canoe is heavy as hell at about 100lbs or so.  But it is also pretty much indestructable.
     
    I also have my parents Bell Canoe Works "Northwind" on loan to me for a few more weeks, which is a high-scale kevlar/carbon model.  Still 17ft, capacity around 900lbs, and a carry-weight of only 32 pounds!  It is tough as nails, very light, but ridiculously expensive...  I'd never touch one if not for my parents being such fans.
     
    I would look into a 12' Grumman (or similar aluminum) if you are fishing solo and planning on carrying it.  If you have trouble finding one locally, look right to the source in Marathon, NY where they build 'em.  The town is just outside Cortland (Me and HLS's old stomping grounds) and sells 'blemishes' or boats that might have a crease or a bow of some sort.  All the aluminum canoes you could ever imagine in that little town!
     
    Of course, you can always borrow one of mine (or Tunas) anytime too.  Which is as cheap as it gets!
     
     
     
    They sell 'em cheap, so it might be worth a look
    #4
    RhnstnCowboy
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    RE: Considering a Canoe ? 2009/07/13 10:29:25 (permalink)
    For what you are doing an aluminum canoe would work fine, but I would never recommend anyone buy an aluminum boat. If it turns out you like canoeing and want to try other bodies of water (creeks, rivers), etc. then you will kick yourself that you bought an aluminum canoe. I have an Old Town Allagash 164 that I love (it weighs 84 pounds). Its been through hell and keeps on ticking. If you are looking to drop a little money on a used boat, I would suggest contacting a canoe outfitter and buying one of their Old Towns or Mad Rivers. Just make sure that it has never been patched (which will be plainly visible). Any other problems it might have with the thwarts or seats, etc. can be easily fixed. My buddy just got an Old Town Discovery 169 from an outfitter for $250. It was one season old and had light scratches, but was otherwise in perfect shape. It is green and the outfitter wanted all of their canoes to be red, so they were easily identifiable on the river, so they sold all of the green ones they had. He got a great deal.
    post edited by RhnstnCowboy - 2009/07/13 10:32:28

    "Part of being a Leftist is the smug conviction that you and people like you are smart, while everyone else is stupid and/or evil"
    - T. Fleming
    #5
    Neversink Jimmy
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    RE: Considering a Canoe ? 2009/07/13 13:50:44 (permalink)
    That's some awesome advice too, Brother...  I simply *LOVE* my Old Town, and it has been through hell and back over the past 15 years...  Fishing everything from Smallmouth on the Shenandoah, to Snook in South Florida, to Grayling in Alaska.  It is beaten and battered, but still an awesome boat.
     
    That 'Royalex' stuff is pretty much bombproof...  It's heavy, but it is tough as nails...
     
    Brian, also consider what you are going to be using the boat for.  A boat like the Discovery 169 has a little less 'rocker' and is considered more of a 'downriver boat' which is why they are so highly prozed by most canoe liveries.  Awesome for floating the Beaverkill, Upper Hudson, etc.  They are very manuverable, which sacrifices (a little) stability.
     
    Biggert boats like the 174 are more stable and track better on open water.  The 174 is more of a 'trekking' canoe for heavy loads and major stability.
     
    If you are just kicking around your favorite farmpond or something, you probably wouldn't even notice a difference in any style, but if you are in it a lot, you will see some variables.
     
    I bet there are plenty of outfitters on the Beaverkill that might beable to help you out later in the season once their busy times are over.  And I will keep an eye out too, in case I come across a decent boat online.  I am always looking, it seems. 
     
    Sadly, no canoe will ever be as pimped-out as your rowboat.  That is a pretty serious little fishing machine!!!

    "I love fishing. You put that line in the water and you don't know what's on the other end. Your imagination is under there" -Robert Altman
    #6
    jkbugger
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    RE: Considering a Canoe ? 2009/07/13 17:01:37 (permalink)
    get an idea from these guys and look on craigslist, a lot of variety, even the occasional 12-13ft kelvlars but they sell fast. If your looking to do the bass thing, I'd say about 15 foot fiberglass would be ideal and cheapest.

    "Give a man a fish, and he can eat for a day. But teach a man how to fish, and he'll be dead of mercury poisoning inside of three years."
    Charles Haas
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    hot tuna
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    RE: Considering a Canoe ? 2009/07/13 18:17:19 (permalink)
    I don't know, I would never buy a fiberglass boat or canoe again. Having owned a 19' Larson a Ranger bass boat a 10' hornbeck,and a old towne stillwater 14' they are a lot of up keep and the UV-Rays do the worst damage to a glass boat. Alum. is indestructable aside from rivet leak over time (many,many years)  All were more fashion then my use of function. Now I only own a 14' Lake Raider Jon boat & a 16' Ouachita canoe all over 20 years old and Alum. with zero issues. The canoe is managable for 1 (unloading-loading) and a beast for slamming rocks and carrying 3+ gear, something I would never do with a glass boat , the jon boat has been slamming rocks on the Hudson for 20 years and even seen Lake Ontario a few times.
     
    My next canoe will be a Radisson, I know they are thin skin but perfect for carying.  
     
     

    "whats that smell like fish oh baby" .. J. Kaukonen
    #8
    Neversink Jimmy
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    RE: Considering a Canoe ? 2009/07/13 18:28:03 (permalink)
    Come to think of it, we all know that Brian just needs to cowboy-up and get a Raddison like Perch Inc.
     
    I paddled (and ROWED) that thing last year at my party and it was awesome... Actually, I take it back, Nora rowed me around and I sat back with a cold beer and caught a few smallies...  But still, it was a nice boat!
     
    If I could get a new canoe, it would be a Radisson/SportsPal too.  A shortie- like the 12-footer or something...
     
    C-O-M-F-O-R-T-A-B-L-E!!!  And they are light as hell for what you get out of that boat.
     
    A true 'Adirondack Staple', no doubt...  I must have seen two dozen of them up around Inlet this weekend!
    #9
    Inukshuk
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    RE: Considering a Canoe ? 2009/07/13 18:58:31 (permalink)
    Sorry to change the subject but, Jimmy, since you mentioned Inlet, do you partake in the 90 mile canoe run through the Fulton Chains?  I heard about it and think it would be a fun adventure, of course it would take me more than four days because I would be fishing along the way.  

    Confusion will be my epitaph, as I walk a cracked and broken path.
    #10
    bassinbrian
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    RE: Considering a Canoe ? 2009/07/13 21:18:30 (permalink)
    Yes i see there are LOTS of options, guess i'll have to go out with a few of you guys and see what i like
     
    #11
    EagleCrg
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    RE: Considering a Canoe ? 2009/07/15 11:02:53 (permalink)
    Brian:

    No matter what canoe you buy, if you are going to fish out of it, I recommend outfitting it with oarlocks and rowing, rather than paddling it.  By sitting it the center (assuming you are alone) you eliminate some of the stability issues with the bow getting lifted up and the wind catching it.  Also recommend a lower seat that you will be rowing from.  It will do wonders for the stability, although it does tend to limit your visibility some and is more difficult to cast a fly from the lower position if you flyfish.  However, it is much easier to just drop the oars if you get a fish on instead of setting the paddle down in the boat so you don't lose it.  With oars you can also rig the boat with rod holders if you do much trolling.  If you are going to use the canoe primarily for lake fishing, get one with a keel.  If you are going to be using it alot in swift water, particularly whitewater, you do NOT want a keel.  The keel will allow your canoe to track 100% better on still water and reduces maneuverability in the fast water.  Without the keel, the wind will blow you all over the place on a lake or pond.  I have built several canoes and have a guideboat that is currently under construction utilizing the cedar strip method.  Good luck with your search.  If you buy used and don't like it, you can always get your money back.
    #12
    Perch Inc.
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    RE: Considering a Canoe ? 2009/07/15 16:38:43 (permalink)
    Brain, I have two different canoes I can bring them both to "JJ 2 !! One's nice Raddison square back wt. 47#  and the other is a madriver  wt. 74# but it will take a BEATING and still float!!!!!!
    post edited by Perch Inc. - 2009/07/15 16:51:48

    Monster PERCH Rulz!!!
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